When performing vascular procedures, it may be desirable to deliver diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents into the body. It may be further desirable to deliver such agents while manipulating the position of a delivery device within the body. For example, in the setting of cardiac lead delivery, it may be desirable to simultaneously infuse radiocontrast through a delivery sheath while manipulating the sheath within the chambers of the heart. It may be further desirable to subsequently deliver a pacing lead to the heart through the delivery sheath and then remove the delivery sheath to leave the pacing lead in place. As a specific example, a delivery sheath may be introduced into the right atrium of the heart. The position of the delivery sheath within the heart may be manipulated and radiocontrast infused in order to identify and/or cannulate the coronary sinus. Subsequently, the position of the delivery sheath within the coronary sinus may be manipulated and radiocontrast infused in order to identify and/or cannulate a coronary venous tributary to the coronary sinus. Subsequently, a left ventricular pacing lead may be delivered to the venous tributary through the delivery sheath, after which the delivery sheath may be split or slit and than removed leaving the pacing lead in place. Such delivery devices are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,198 and U.S. Publication No. 2007/0293845, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
A problem that arises is that the devices could have problems with easy slittability or splittability of the delivery device due to constructive properties of the device.
A problem addressed by this patent application is that of creating a coupling for a delivery device which has a slitting side with an improved slittability.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the above-identified problems.